Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak sat down for an interview with Kuwait’s Al-Anba newspaper recently to discuss a number topics including Trump’s peace deal and the new developments occurring in the Middle East. When asked about Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’, which is the new Middle East peace deal between the Palestinians and Israelis, Mubarak expressed his pessimism towards the deal. “I am an optimist by nature,” said Mubarak, “but my general view on this issue is not optimistic.” “Any solution that would be imposed on the region based on the imbalance of power will not last, and will remain a temporary solution that could explode at any moment.” He added that his only knowledge of the deal comes from newspapers, yet noted that “these introductions are unsatisfactory,” referring to the transfer of the American embassy to Jerusalem, the recognition by America of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, and the continued expansion of settlements in the occupied territories. “Second, Netanyahu, I know him very well, he also knows me, and knows my frankness with him. He does not want a two-state solution for the sake of peace,” the Egyptian president said….
Egypt’s Minister of Tourism Goes to the Pyramids with the Tourists from the Bus Explosion
Egypt’s Minister of Tourism Rania Al-Mashat escorted South African tourists on their visit to the Egyptian landmark, the Great Pyramids of Giza, on Sunday after the bus explosion. According to the statement released by the ministry, the South African tourists were amongst a group 25 tourists who were targeted in the bus explosion near the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza on Sunday afternoon. At least 17 people have been injured. The minister paid a visit to El-Haram Hospital where those injured where being treated. Afterwards, she accompanied the other group to the pyramids alongside the South African Ambassador to Egypt and Ahmed Rashed, governor of Giza. Initial reports from state media indicate 10 Egyptians and seven South Africans were among those injured. According to media reports, two vehicles – a tour bus and a private vehicle – were impacted by the explosion. The tour bus was carrying 25 people while the private vehicle was carrying four people. The extent of the damage remains unclear. However, photographs from the scene show shattered windows on the bus while individuals roam around the overly intact bus. Security forces and ambulances rushed to the…
Presenting AFCON’S 2019 Mascot: Little Tut!
Egypt’s Football Association revealed the 2019 mascot for the African Cup of Nations: a young Tutankhamun. The mascot was officially revealed on Sunday through the EFA’s Facebook page where the ancient royal, in a youthful form, is seen playing football tricks. He is adorned in modern football attitude all while wearing the nemes, an ancient egyptian royal wig alluding to royalty. In April, the organizing committee of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt announced the prices of tickets for the tournament which range between EGP 200 and EGP 2500 and are expected to go on sale around mid-May 2019. The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) ticket prices received a wave of major criticism from social media users and Egypt’s very own footballer Mohamed ‘Mo’ Salah, especially the third-class tickets, which ranged from EGP100 to EGP200 which are considered too expensive for the majority of Egyptians. In January, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that Egypt has been granted the hosting rights of the 2019 African Cup of Nations after winning the majority of votes. After Cameroon was stripped of the right to host in December due to…
AI to Boost Egypt’s GDP by 7.7% in 2030: Minister of Higher Eduction Predicts
After Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khalid Abdel-Ghaffar assessed Egypt’s strategy for adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI), he deduced that AI will contribute to 7.7 percent of the country’s GDP in 2013. The minister made the remarks during the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Education that took place in China organized by the Chinese Minister of Education from 16 May to 18 May. The predictions also show that the annual growth rate of AI in the region to reach 25.5 percent between 2019 and 2030. Egypt’s GDP as of January 2016 is 5.5 percent. Abdel-Ghaffar explained that the emerging popularity of AI will have a great impact on the society and economy unlike any other previous invention which is why Egypt wants to participate in this sector. According to the minister, Egypt plans to host and oversea the research and development of emerging technologies in the field of health care, agriculture, education, energy, transportation, infrastructure and smart cities. The implementation strategy is established with respect to capacity building, developing field experts and researchers, facilitating entrepreneurial activities and creating a framework for developing applications. Egypt will also develop…
Explosion Reported Near Grand Egyptian Museum
At least 17 people have been injured after an explosion targeted a tour bus and a private vehicle travelling near the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. According to local and international reports, including social media posts, an explosion near the Grand Egyptian Museum – which has not yet opened to the public – left a tour bus with shattered windows. Initial reports from state media indicate 10 Egyptians and seven South Africans were among those injured. According to media reports, two vehicles – a tour bus and a private vehicle – were impacted by the explosion. The tour bus was carrying 25 people while the private vehicle was carrying four people. The extent of the damage remains unclear. However, photographs from the scene show shattered windows on the bus while individuals roam around the overly intact bus. Security forces and ambulances rushed to the scene of the explosion within minutes of the incident. The road near the Grand Egyptian Museum is often popular with tour buses travelling to and from the Great Pyramid of Giza complex and other nearby antiquity and historic sites. The Grand Egyptian Museum is set to…
Egypt’s New Rod-Al Farag Axis Bridge Receives Guinness World Record Certificate
Guinness World Records handed a certificate to the new Rod Al Farag Axis Bridge in Egypt for being the widest cable-stayed bridge, which measures 67.3 m (220 ft 9.6 in) wide. It was designed and constructed by The Arab Contractors in Egypt and was officially inaugurated on 15 May 2019. Regional Director for the Guinness World Records in the Middle East and North Africa region Talal Omar presented the certificate to Mohamed Mohsen Salah, President and CEO of Arab Contractors company. Rod El-Farag Axis links areas in northern and eastern Cairo with western Cairo in order ease traffic levels in the centre of the city. President Abdel Fatah El Sisi attended Wednesday the opening of Rod el Farag Axis Bridge, noting that “Egypt is seeking to carry out public projects in the shortest possible time to save money and effort.” “The basic cost of this project reached 170 billion Egyptian pounds (9.94 billion U.S. dollars),” said Ihab Alphar, chairman of the AFEA. The bridge was built by around 4,000 engineers, technicians, and workers. A day before its inauguration, it was reported that the Arab Contractors Company requested that Egypt’s…
“We Are Data”: Inspiring Cairo Event Presents Grassroots Approaches to Technology
In this hyper-mediated era and data-controlled society, a world in which our every online move and interaction is tracked for the benefit of the most powerful political and economic interest groups, our seemingly free or spontaneous choices are in fact increasingly ruled by algorithms; our activities are recorded as data patterns that in turn serve to influence the consumption of media and information. Instead of restating some of these worrying tendencies or simply listing dry data trends, the potential power and creative use of data and technology formed the basis of a refreshingly educational and well-organized panel event entitled “We Are Data”, convened on 16 May at Downtown Cairo’s Cimathèque. A co-organized event shedding light on an ongoing collaboration between Cairotronica and Impakt, the goal of this session was to explore how we can support autonomy and agency with regard to data, from more creative angles. Held biennially since 2016, Cairotronica is an Electronic and New Media Arts festival in Cairo, which aims to be an international platform for electronic art in the Middle East. It encourages people from different fields including artists, academics and technology experts to come together…
‘Direxiona’: Egyptian Platform for Female Driving Instructors Wins First Prize in AFD Competition
The Egyptian platform for female driving instructors Direxiona won the first prize in the third edition of the AFD Digital Challenge competition held in Paris on 9 May. The “Digital Challenge Success” award, which was granted by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has a value of 50,000 euros and rewards companies that make use of innovative digital technology for the benefit of women and the reduction of gender inequality in Africa. The goal is to promote the economic, social, cultural and political inclusion of women. The two startups rewarded with this prize must be undergoing their expansion phase and demonstrating an excellent ability to scale up and develop. “It is high time for Direxiona to receive such a prize, because we are still looking to raise investments and partners to expand and it is a bit difficult for women in tech,” Nayrouz Talaat, founder of Direxiona told Egyptian Streets. “The competition started last year and I passed through many phases until I was finally selected among the last 15 winners. After this I got the email that I had won the first prize months ago and it was the…
Egypt to Receive Final Installment Worth $2 Billion from IMF Upon Board’s Approval
Earlier today, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revealed that an agreement has been made to review the last installment of USD 12 billion loan given to Egypt to help with the country’s economic reform program. The last installment worth USD 2 billion is currently awaiting the approval of the IMF’s board. The statement said that “completion of this review would make available SDR 1,432.76 million (about US$2 billion), bringing total disbursements under the programme to about US$12 billion.” An IMF delegation visited Egypt on 5 to 16 May to conduct the review. Beginning 5 May until 16 May, an IMF delegation will visit Egypt to assess the economic situation. Nonetheless, Egypt has been able to achieve the goals set by the reform program which include macroeconomic stabilization, growth and an improvement in the business climate post the implementation of the reform programme. “GDP growth accelerated from 4.2 percent in 2016/17 to 5.3 percent in 2017/18; unemployment declined from 12 percent to below 9 percent; and the current account deficit narrowed from 5.6 percent of GDP to 2.4 percent,” the statement added. It is expected that Egypt’s government debt will drop…